by Camy Tang
Working Full-Time and Writing
(or for any busy writer)
As always, remember that these tips won't all work for everyone, so pick and choose what's right for you.
Little moments
Be efficient with the little time you have.
No, I’m not talking about when we all get caught up with Him in the clouds. I’m talking about little things like minutes. Do you know how many spare ones you’ve got in a day? You might be surprised. And you can utilize them for your writing.
First, record the time you start and end writing.
Write down on a piece of paper or a spreadsheet the time you start working on your manuscript, NOT the time you sit down at the computer. Don't count the time you spend surfing the web, checking emails, or paying bills. Just record actual writing time. It can be enlightening and either encouraging or motivating. You don't realize how much time you spend emailing, IM-ing or blogging until it's in black and white.
Find your moments.
Related to this exercise, take a pen and paper and list all the spare moments of time you had during the day. You'd be surprised at the random minutes you'll notice while waiting for something to simmer, in doctors' offices, during commercial breaks, 30 seconds at a red light.
Even if you can't write during those periods, can you do something else that you would otherwise have done during your writing time? Could you vacuum one room during a commercial break so you don't have to vacuum it later? Could you wash a couple glasses or spoons while the soup comes to a boil? Can you edit a paragraph or two of your manuscript at the red light?
In writing down the spare moments you have, it'll help you be more aware of those times so you can be efficient.
Small steps
Take it one paragraph at a time. Don't try to write a full page in half an hour, although if you do--congratulations! Aim small, and get it accomplished. You'll feel better than if you aim high and don't get it done.
Write a little every day
This doesn't work for everyone, but it does work for most people. Even if it's only 5 minutes, one paragraph, or 100 words, just do it.
Sometimes if you force yourself to write everyday like this for a few days in a row, you get used to it and it starts to become a habit. Your mind and your body get used to the routine and it becomes easier and faster to jump into the mood and mindset of writing
Anticipate
Another thing to think about is if you're ANTICIPATING a pocket of time for writing, use the busy time leading up to it to THINK about what you're going to write about. This mental preparation will help you sit down and take off when it's writing time.
Camy Tang
lives in San Jose, California. She previously worked biology research,
and she is a staff worker for her church youth group. She runs the Story Sensei critique service, and her Asian chick-lit novel has just been contracted by Zondervan.
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